Q&A: Peter “Ralphie from ‘A Christmas Story'” Billingsley

After he found success playing the lead role in “A Christmas Story,” joining the cast of “Real People” and appearing in more than 100 TV commercials, I always just assumed that Peter Billingsley retired from acting to a life of crack deals and video rental store robberies. Isn’t that child actor law or something?

lazydork.com

All I want for Christmas is a normal post-child actor adulthood. (And that BB gun, too …)

So I was blown away a few years ago when his name showed up on the credits as a producer of “Made,” the Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn movie that followed “Swingers.” Billingsley has since started a production company with Vaughn — who he met on an after-school special — and he’s producing “Iron Man” and “Four Christmases,” a comedy with Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon.

I cornered Billingsley after he showed up for a screening of “Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show,” which I reviewed positively in today’s Chronicle. It’s worth noting that he barely resembles Ralphie from “A Christmas Story” any more, and I only noticed the vocal similarities when I was transcribing tape. He’s also really, really hot now.

As you’ll see, he was a pretty good sport — during this interview he revealed the location of the bunny suit, his own personal knowledge of the dangers of steroids and how he transitioned from child actor to Hollywood deal-maker. Read on …

The Poop: Do you get tired people calling you “Ralphie” and making Ovaltine jokes?

Peter Billingsley: No, it’s nice. I mean look, you can be famous nowadays for a lot of things, so it’s nice to be known for a pretty great movie. I’m certainly proud of it, and I’m finally at the point where I can watch it and appreciate it.

TP: You had a hard time watching “A Christmas Story”? When was the last time you saw the whole thing?

PB: My family puts it on every year. I saw a little blurb of it (this Christmas). But the year before last I was able to watch the whole thing for the first time in a long time, and I was finally able to appreciate it as a movie.

TP: Were you happy and well-adjusted when you were acting? I don’t remember reading about you shooting smack or dating MacKenzie Phillips or anything.

PB: I had a good experience acting, I had a really good family and everything had been really positive for me, but I also had an urge to get behind the scenes.

TP: Was it hard to make that transition?

PB: I talked to Bob Clark, who directed “A Christmas Story” — he passed away recently — and I asked him “What should I do?” He said, “Get in the editing room, and that’s where you learn how to make a movie.” I started off there. I worked on post-production and kind of edited and worked as a film doctor for bad movies.

TP: What was the worst movie you worked on?

PB: A movie called “Arcade,” which I also appeared in. There was also a bad one called “Knights.” I cut trailers for B movies. I would just hustle and get any work I could get. Finally I got a producing job on a show called “The X Show,” which was kind of like “The Man Show.” And then Vince and Jon set up “Made,” and they were kind enough to invite me on (as a co-producer).

TP: You had met Vince Vaughn way back in 1990 on a CBS Schoolbreak Special.

PB: It was called “The Fourth Man,” because I was the fourth man on a track relay team. Vince played my friend.

TP: Shouldn’t it have been called something like “Johnny X: Portrait of a Teenage Steroid Junkie”?

PB: It probably should have been, but it was just “The Fourth Man.” I went from no speed to being the anchor of the track relay team, because of all the ‘roids. I got crazy wheels.

TP: Did you and Vince hit it off right away?

PB: The director suggested we spend some time together and hang out. We had a lot in common and became really good buddies. He was hustling for work, just like every other kid out there.

TP: You had a little cameo in “Elf,” and you were in “Wild West Comedy Show.” Are you looking to start acting again?

PB: I do. I did a little thing in “Four Christmases” and I did a little thing in “Iron Man.” It’s really fun when I’m doing projects for friends or your own movie to step in a do a little role. I think I’ll start getting back into it more and more now.